Emeritus Professor John Mulvaney, often called “the father of Australian archaeology”, visited the University of New England on Friday 7 October to see his son Ken Mulvaney, who is also an archaeologist, graduate as a Doctor of Philosophy.

In 2004 the Australian Archaeological Association awarded Professor Mulvaney its Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Archaeology, acknowledging “his pioneering spirit, his distinguished and sustained achievements in Australian prehistory, his fostering of the discipline in Australia, and his mentoring of so many young archaeologists – including those who themselves have attained distinction”.

Another recipient of the Rhys Jones Medal, UNE’s Professor Iain Davidson, was the principal supervisor of Ken Mulvaney’s research for his PhD thesis titled Dampier Petroglyphs: Shadows in the Landscape Echoes Across Time. That research, funded by Woodside Energy Ltd, concerned the Aboriginal rock art of north-western Australia’s Dampier Archipelago. Dr Ken Mulvaney now works in Western Australia as Cultural Heritage Specialist for Rio Tinto.

Professor Mulvaney said he was “very pleased” that his son had followed him into the field of Aboriginal archaeology, and had completed such a “very important piece of work”.

The ceremony on Friday was for those graduating from academic programs within UNE’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The following day – Saturday 8 October – saw the ceremony for the Faculty of The Professions, at which the Occasional Address speaker was Philip Clark AM, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Australian Government’s Education Investment Fund.

Mr Clark inspired the graduands with the story of his own successful career, which developed through legal training and business experience. That career has included leading roles with the major law firms Mallesons Stephen Jaques (as Managing Partner) and Minter Ellison (as Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer). He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007 for his contribution to the development of national law firms and encouraging corporate involvement in community programs.

Mr Clark’s work in the not-for-profit sector includes positions on the Board of the St James Ethics Centre and on the Advisory Board of the High Resolves Initiative. He served on the Board of Directors of the Garvan Research Foundation from 2005 to 2008.

“There’s nothing more important than a strong education and research sector,” Mr Clark said, and he went on to describe UNE as an institution that combined “the highest academic standards, industry-valued qualifications and flexible modes of learning”, and that was “at the forefront of online learning”.

“UNE has built significant strength and expertise around regional issues, and is capitalising on that expertise as a centre of excellence for regional education,” he said. “That is of considerable interest to the Education Investment Fund, as we open a $500 million Regional Round to provide infrastructure to universities and VET organisations to enable them to significantly improve their educational offerings to benefit regional students.”

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Dr Ken Mulvaney (left) and Emeritus Professor John Mulvaney at the UNE graduation ceremony.

In her Occasional Address during a graduation ceremony at the University of New England today, Professor Ingrid Moses spoke about the importance of productive, cooperative activity within the community (the development of ‘social capital’) in the educational experience.

Professor Moses (pictured here), the distinguished educationist who was UNE’s Vice-Chancellor from mid-1997 to January 2006, said: “There are many opportunities to acquire social capital at the University of New England. The residential colleges with their communal living and their multitude of sporting, academic, cultural and social activities, lead to very strong networks and bonding. The alumni functions of the different colleges bear vivid witness to the enduring strength of these networks.”

She went on to talk about the role of volunteering in that process. “Again, in the residential colleges – but also in the various general student societies – there are numerous opportunities to volunteer in sporting and cultural competitions, in college events, and in fundraising,” she said. “And external students will have opportunities in their work, family, and civic lives.”

Professor Moses mentioned UNE’s New England Award program as one element in the University’s provisions for encouraging its students to be active participants in society. This program, initiated by Professor Moses about eight years ago and developed by Dr Robyn Muldoon, encourages students to engage in – and reflect on – a range of extra-curricular activities, including community work. After the ceremony, Professor Moses met and congratulated UNE’s latest recipient of the New England Award – Michael Griffith, who graduated today with a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (First Class Honours) degree.

Today’s ceremony also saw the presentation of special awards to two people whose careers exemplify the development of “social capital” as well as pre-eminence in their chosen fields of activity. In introducing Professor Gisela Kaplan, who received the honorary degree of Doctor of the University (Science), the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, outlined her long career in research and teaching at UNE in the fields of education, sociology and political science, and animal behaviour. “As a teacher, she has given supererogatory assistance – especially to her many postgraduate students,” Professor Barber said. One of those students, Nicole Austin, graduated today as a Doctor of Philosophy cum laude with a project supervised by Professor Kaplan and Professor Lesley Rogers.

Professor Barber said that Professor Kaplan was “among the most prominent researchers in avian behaviour, her work having been recognised to be at the cutting edge of the discipline”. He mentioned her many scholarly publications, including her authoritative studies of the behaviour of Australian magpies and tawny frogmouths. He also spoke about her important work in communicating her discoveries and insights in the popular media.

The other award recipient was Dr Arthur Rickards OAM, who was honoured with the title of Distinguished Graduate Fellow of the University. “This year marks the retirement of Dr Rickards as Managing Director of the Agricultural Business Research Institute, and more than 40 years in a distinguished career,” said the Chancellor, the Hon. Richard Torbay. “It is an appropriate time to recognise Dr Rickards as a distinguished graduate of the University.”

“Dr Rickards has been a leading agribusiness innovator,” the Chancellor said. “Among his achievements are developing financial benchmarking of farm businesses, establishing Australia’s National Beef Recording Scheme, introducing electronic selling of livestock, international commercialisation of a genetic evaluation system, and developing the infrastructure for international marketing of quality-assured Australian cattle genetics.

“He was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1996 for his service to primary industry as foundation Director of the Agricultural Business Research Institute.”

The Chancellor went on to mention Dr Rickards’s “outstanding service to the community” – including “helping to establish the New England Conservatorium of Music and subsequently becoming Chair of that organisation”. “This has had a significant impact on the arts and cultural opportunities available in Armidale, and extends access to music to students throughout the region,” he said.

During today’s ceremony the Chancellor presented testamurs to 143 people graduating from academic programs within UNE’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Tomorrow (Saturday 8 October), during the ceremony for the Faculty of The Professions, he will present about 330 new UNE graduates with their testamurs.

Emeritus Professor Ingrid Moses, the distinguished educationist who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England from mid 1997 to early January 2006, will present the Occasional Address at the first of UNE’s two Spring Graduation ceremonies this week.

Professor Moses will address people graduating from award programs within UNE’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences during the ceremony on Friday 7 October. The Occasional Address speaker at the ceremony for the Faculty of The Professions on Saturday 8 October will be Philip Clark, who was Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian-based international law firm Minter Ellison from 1995 to 2005. Mr Clark was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007 for his contribution to the development of national law firms and for encouraging corporate involvement in community programs.

About 1,200 people are graduating from UNE this spring, and almost 500 of them will be attending the colourful ceremonies on the lawns of “Booloominbah” (or, in the event of wet weather, in UNE’s Lazenby Hall), during which the University’s Chancellor, the Hon. Richard Torbay, will present them with their testamurs.

During the ceremony on Friday 7 October the Chancellor will also present the honorary degree of Doctor of the University (Science) to the internationally renowned authority on animal behaviour Professor Gisela Kaplan, and the award of Distinguished Graduate Fellow of the University to the founding Managing Director of the Agricultural Business Research Institute, Dr Arthur Rickards OAM.

The University is expecting more than 2,000 visitors over the two days – including the graduands themselves, their friends, and members of their families. Each of the ceremonies will begin at 10.30 am.